Reciprocated Feelings
by Niamara
Summary: Well, if it was me, I wouldn’t mind it if a girl just came up and snogged the life out of me.' Lily's sick, James takes care of her, and Lily learns that James isn't all that bad. LJ oneshot.


_Disclaimer: Quote from Mary Cassatt. And I still don't own Lily, James, or any other Harry Potter characters._

_**Title: Reciprocated Feelings**_

----------

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

Lily woke up to the annoying _beep_ of her alarm clock. She tiredly rolled over to shut it off, hearing the birds chattering outside. Lily glanced back at her clock: 6:45 A.M. "Oh, go away," Lily moaned, her head pounding from the twittering of the birds.

Lily swung her legs over the side of her bed, reaching for a tissue from her bedside table. She threw the used tissue in the garbage, standing up to go to the bathroom. Her headache had doubled its strength by the time Lily knocked on the door.

James opened Lily's connecting door dressed in only a towel that he wrapped around his waist. His hair was mussed and dripping slightly, making little rivers of water cascade gently down his toned body. James' hazel eyes twinkled merrily behind his glasses, and he had a toothbrush in hand.

"Morning, Evans," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "You don't look too well. Are you okay?"

"No, Potter, I'm not okay," Lily snapped. "My head is pounding, and my nose is stuffy, and I am _still_ tired." Lily pushed past his shocked face into the bathroom. She grabbed her own toothbrush and began brushing her teeth.

"I hope you feel better," James offered.

"Fanks," Lily replied, her mouth full of foam.

"What was that?" James asked in fake amazement, cupping his ear in exaggeration. "Did Lily Evans, _the_ Lily Evans, just apologize to James Potter, the lying, arrogant, cheating, annoying wanker?" James asked, grinning like a mad man.

"Shut up, Potter," Lily said, spitting out her toothpaste. "I hate morning people," she mumbled, rinsing her brush and walking back to her room. She carefully shut and locked the door before realizing that it was her turn to take a shower. She turned around and opened the door.

"Long time, no see, Lily," James smirked.

"Get out, Potter. I have to take my shower," Lily croaked, reaching for another tissue.

"All the more reason for me to stay," James remarked. He smiled, his hazel eyes twinkling, and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Potter, I really have t – t – to – to – _ACHOO!_" Lily sneezed.

"Bless you," James laughed, handing her a second tissue.

"Urgh, thanks," Lily said thickly.

James smiled. "Twice in one day! This must be my lucky day." James walked to his room and opened the door. "Now, you're absolutely positive I can't stay?"

"Out!" Lily shouted, swatting at his bare shoulder. James grinned as he dashed into his room. Lily slammed the door in his face, but James swore he saw a shadow of a smile on her face.

Lily locked James' door from the inside, insuring that he couldn't sneak in. She grabbed her towel and draped it over the top of the shower. Lily quickly got undressed and stepped into the shower, turning the hot water handle.

Even after ten minutes of breathing in steam, Lily's nose didn't feel any clearer, her head didn't hurt much less, and she didn't feel any more awake. Lily took her towel and wrapped it around herself, wringing out her hair. She walked into her room, flinging a clean bra, pair of underwear, pair of socks, skirt, shirt, tie and robe onto her bed. Lily made sure she was completely dry before putting on her clothes. She haphazardly buckled her shoes, reaching for her wand in the process to dry her hair.

Lily grabbed her book bag and carelessly slung it over her shoulder, sticking her wand in her bag. Before heading to the common room, Lily grabbed a handful of tissues and shoved them in her remaining pocket, taking one to use then.

"I hate colds," Lily moaned, wiping her nose as she wandered into the common room.

"Me too," James intervened. "They make you feel all icky and crappy and then no one wants to be near you." He sauntered down into the Heads' common room, this time equipped with a shirt, pants and his books.

"Icky and crappy?" Lily smiled, wiping her nose again.

James laughed nervously. "I don't know. It's how my mum used to know if I was sick."

"Really?" Lily asked, laughing.

"Oh yeah. Even ask Sirius. She'd ask, _'Jamie, how are you feeling?'_ and then I'd say, in that cute, little kid voice, _'Icky and crappy'_. Then she would tell me that I was sick and call in the family healer, and he would try and confine me to my bed."

"Try?"

"Yeah, Sirius would somehow get to my house after I owled him, and he'd climb up the side of my house and come in through the window with his broom hanging over his shoulder. Then he'd get that twinkle in his eyes – the one he gets when he's about to pull off a prank – and we would both sneak down to the quidditch pitch and fly for the day. Sometimes I think my parents knew about us sneaking out, since Sirius always giggled like a little girl when he thought about the pitch."

Lily laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly. "That's really funny!" she giggled. "I can see Sirius laughing like a g – gi – gir – _ACHOO!_"

"Bless you," James said, his cheeks tinged slightly pink.

Lily thanked him, pulling another tissue out of her pocket and wiping her nose.

"Wow," James breathed, running a hand through his hair.

"What?" Lily asked, looking nervous. "Did I do something incredibly stupid or something? Wait, if I did, I don't want to know the answer to that question."

James chuckled slightly. "No, no, it's not that. It's just that I can't believe I just told you that."

"Well, we did mutually agree that you wouldn't prank me so long as I wouldn't yell at you, right?"

"Right," James agreed skeptically.

"Well, _James_, some people might look at that agreement and say we were friends. And friends tell each other things. Really, funny, embarrassing things…" Lily trailed off, turning red from trying to hold in her laughter.

James didn't seem to notice; his face broke into a huge smile, and Lily couldn't hold in her laughter anymore. She broke out into giggles, rolling around on the common room floor, clutching her stomach.

James couldn't help but laugh at the sight: the most dignified person he knew was rolling on the floor, tears leaking out of her eyes, her skirt rising ever so slowly up her thighs…

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BE – 

"Lily!" James called over her giggles and sneezes, keeping his mind focused on turning off his watch alarm. "Come on. We have to go or we won't have time for breakfast before classes."

Lily sighed, standing up. She straightened her skirt, picking up her forgotten bag in the process. She looked at James, the room spinning in circles.

"Lily, are you okay?" James asked as she swayed on the spot. "You look…green."

Lily dropped her bag, slapping a hand over her mouth. She tore her eyes away from James as she turned and darted up her stairs and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

James raced after Lily, running up her stairs two at a time, extremely thankful that the four founders thought the Head Boy trustworthy. He put his ear to the door, hearing Lily coughing violently inside. "Lily?" he called. His response was more coughing. James was starting to worry. Was she okay? What if she wasn't? Did she need his help?

"Lily?" James cried again. "Can I come in?" James almost didn't hear Lily's moan of assent as she flushed the toilet. He quietly opened the door, peering around the edge.

Lily looked terrible: one arm was holding her hair back while the other was holding herself up, resting on the side of the toilet seat. She was hunched over, her feet curled up beneath her. James' heart clenched as he looked at her face; the slight, greenish tinge was still there, but it was more evident as her face had paled considerably. Even from that distance, Lily looked clammy.

James rushed towards Lily, sitting down on the floor next to her. "Here, let me help you," he whispered, taking an elastic from the counter above him and wrapped it around her hair, keeping it out of her face.

Lily smiled weakly, resting both of her elbows on the edge of the toilet seat. She shoved her palms on her eyes, rubbing them, wishing it was all just a dream. Suddenly, shivers were sent down her spine as James took it upon himself to rub her back soothingly, drawing little circles with his thumb.

"Do you think you're going to…er, do you think you have anything left…?" James ran his free hand through his hair, a sure sign of discomfort – or embarrassment – to those who knew him well.

Lily gave a short laugh. "I don't know. It feels like –" James closed his eyes and imagined the sensation of flying as the contents of Lily's dinner emptied themselves into the toilet.

"Are – are you okay now?" James asked.

"I don't think so," Lily responded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Urgh, that tastes nasty." Lily shakily stood up and turned on the faucets, missing the circles James drew on her back. She cupped her hands, filling them with water, and sloppily rinsed out her mouth.

Lily twisted the taps off, stumbling backward until she hit the marble wall beside the bathtub. She slowly slid down, her palms bracing the impact of the cold, white-tiled floor.

"Lily?" James questioned, kneeling down beside her. As soon as Lily eased herself onto the ground, she curled her legs as close to her as she could, and wrapped her arms around them. James noticed that she was swaying slightly, even as she braced her back against the wall, her eyes closed. "Lily?" he questioned, louder this time.

Lily heard James calling her name, but it seemed so far away. She slowly opened her eyes. Her vision swam in and out of focus. The air suddenly seemed twice as hot as it was before. _Is it hot in here, or is it just me?_ Lily thought. She shut her eyes again, willing the sudden heat wave to go away, when she felt James wrap his arms around her – one under her knees and one behind her back. He carried her through her open door, and down into the common room.

James laid Lily down on the couch, making sure she was comfortable by putting a copious amount of pillows underneath her head and neck. He conjured up a blanket, wrapping it around her.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Lily said weakly, though she knew if James had left, no one would have found her until after dinner.

Lily could practically hear James shrug. "Isn't that what friends do?" He summoned a tissue box and put it on the oak table beside the couch. "I take it you aren't up for school today?" Lily moaned. James chuckled. "I'll take that as a no. I'll go and tell McGonagall, get our homework, and I'll bring up some breakfast. How does that sound?"

"Excellent," Lily breathed.

"I'll be back soon," James promised.

Lily heard her fellow Head walking to the portrait hole. "Wait, James?" Lily said, so quiet James almost didn't hear her.

"Yeah?"

"Did you say you were going to get 'our' homework?"

"Yeah. Did you not want yours?"

"Oh, no, no, no, of course I want mine," she responded, using her last bits of strength. "But why would you want yours? You'll be in class…"

"No I won't. I'll be here, with you."

Silence. James turned around, expecting Lily to have drifted off to sleep. Instead, James saw that Lily had a tear already making its way down her cheek, its flow interrupted by the small, grateful smile Lily wore.

James smiled back; a true, genuine smile. "I'll go and get breakfast. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Lily nodded as best as she could. James still seemed uneasy leaving Lily alone, while she was sick. "I'll be fast." James turned around and walked quickly to the exit.

"James?" Lily whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Honestly, it's nothing," he replied, turning around. Lily had fallen asleep on the couch, a peaceful expression on her face. James dashed from the common room, determined to meet McGonagall and Dumbledore before classes started, accompanied with something he didn't know he was wearing: a smile.

----------

"_Shh, Harry, shh," the redheaded with soothed, trying to calm down her baby. She pushed her feet gently, making the rocking chair go back and forth relaxingly. She stared at the walls; Quidditch players zoomed all over the place, the background reflecting a perfect day, puffy clouds dotted here and there. "See, Harry? You don't have to scream all the time," the witch smiled. Baby Harry smiled back up at his mum, reaching out. "Oh, you want my hair, don't you?" Lily asked playfully. Harry gurgled happily. "Well, last time you got hold of my hair you –"_

"_Knock, knock," came a male voice from the doorway._

"_Harry, look who it is!" Lily said, smiling at the man at the door. "Is that daddy?" she asked, looking down at the infant._

_Harry nodded, reaching his chubby fingers towards his father. "Oh, you want to go to daddy, now, do you?" Lily asked. "But I want to stay with **you**, Harry!" Lily cried, smothering the baby's cheeks with kisses. Harry laughed, his emerald green eyes sparkling with laughter._

"_Now, Lils, if Harry wants to spend some quality time with his father, why can't he?" James asked, striding into the room. He had plastered a curious expression on his handsome features._

"_Because the last time I left Harry with you and Sirius, you were teaching him how to use Dungbombs!" Lily projected, a grin making its way onto her lips._

"_Yes, memorable father-son-godfather bonding moments. Ah, I remember it as if it was yesterday…" James sighed._

"_James?"_

"_Yes, love?"_

"_It **was** yesterday. And Remus was here as well, remember? Except he knew better than to teach an **infant** how to use Dungbombs. He's just over a year old, James!"_

"_But we must start teaching him the ways of the Marauders at a young age. How else will he attract all of the girls at school?"_

"_With his caring, thoughtful nature, and it wouldn't hurt for him to get good grades, either."_

"_Says the woman who fell in love with the sexiest rule-breaker Hogwarts had ever seen," James smirked, taking Harry from his wife's arms. "Isn't that right, Harry?" Harry laughed, little drops of spittle making their way onto James' face._

"_Urgh," James said, handing Harry back to Lily. "He spit on me!" James cried incredulously. _

_Lily watched as James wiped the spit of his face, muttering to himself as if he were actually upset._

"_It's okay, Harry," Lily told the child, playing along with James. "Mommy still loves you." Harry smiled, flinging himself against his mother's chest. "Oomph," Lily breathed. Harry looked up at his mother, giggling._

"_Oi, Harry, don't get any ideas," James fake-scolded, walking over to his wife and son. "I love you too, Lils." James leant down and kissed Lily lightly. Harry looked up at his parents with his huge eyes. James laughed, looking back down at his son. "I think Harry wants some more kisses, Lily."_

_As if Harry understood James' words, he turned his head to look at his mother, his bottom lip quivering, and his big, green eyes filling with tears._

"_Oh, Harry, I love you too!" Lily proclaimed, kissing him on his cute, little nose. Harry giggled, trying but failing to hide a yawn. "Oh, someone's tired. I think it's time for bed."_

_Lily walked over to the crib in the corner of the room, setting Harry down in it gently. She pulled up the red and gold covers to his chin, and tapped the walls with her wand, making the Quidditch players glow slightly, giving the baby some light. James joined his wife by the crib, wrapping his arm around her waist. She laid her head on James' shoulder. "He looks exactly like you," Lily whispered, rubbing her child's cheek tenderly. _

"_Except for his eyes. They're yours, Lily. He has your eyes." Lily felt a tingling sensation in the back of her eyes, and a solitary tear made its way down her porcelain face._

_James wiped it away with his thumb. "Don't cry, Lily. I know it's dark times, but be strong. For Harry."_

_The redhead nodded silently to show she understood. "For Harry." Lily looked back down at the child, who was now sleeping. She glowed with pride, taking in his messy, jet-black hair. Lily took her husband's hand, leading him from the room. Lily gently closed the door, but not before crossing off 'October 30th, 1981' on the calendar on the wall._

----------

Lily woke at the cold touch of something on her forehead. She blearily opened her eyes, moving her arm slowly to rest on a wet towel placed on her forehead.

"You seemed really hot," came James' voice to her left. He was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the table, the quill clutched in his left hand hovering over the parchment. "So I gave you a cold towel. Madam Pomfrey says you have the flu, and no potion can cure it. She said cold towels helped with the flu, since you get fevers too…"

Lily smiled gratefully. "Thanks," she said. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"About an hour and a half. Not that long, really. I thought you would sleep for longer."

"Oh." Lily sank back into the pillows, recalling the dream she just had. Or was it a dream? It seemed so real… There was a man. Yes, and a baby, too. An image of the baby flashed across Lily's vision. The shocking, emerald green eyes. _"Except for his eyes. They're yours, Lily. He has your eyes."_ So the baby had Lily's eyes. That meant he was hers, right? And his hair; the uncontrollable, jet-black locks. Untamable. And so familiar… _"He looks exactly like you."_ So, that man must have been Lily's husband, too. The child, he was theirs. Man, wife, and son. A family. For a moment, Lily was back in the dream…for a moment, she was gazing up at her husband…into his sparkling, hazel eyes…with his messy, adorable, untamable, jet-black hair…

Lily's eyes snapped open with realization. That man – her husband – that was James? _But he looked so young,_ Lily thought. She snuck a glance at the present-day James, who was scribbling furiously on the parchment. There weren't many differences, she concluded. The present-day James definitely looked more carefree, more innocent, mischievous, even. The James in the dream had the look of someone who had matured, and gone through rough times. _"Don't cry, Lily. I know it's dark times, but be strong. For Harry."_ Dark times. What did that mean? Lily had heard rumours about a 'Lord Voldemort' murdering Muggles, and articles about mass Muggle killings published in the Daily Prophet. Will Lord Voldemort get stronger? Will she be in danger in the future?

The thought chilled Lily and she started to shake slightly; she soon realized she wasn't shaking from fear, but from actually feeling cold. Lily glanced around for her wand, to conjure another blanket, but it was nowhere to be found.

"James?" Lily called.

James put down his quill and looked up from his work. "Yeah, Lily?"

"Could you conjure me up another blanket? My wand's in my bag…"

"Yeah, sure, no problem," James said, a new blanket materializing almost instantly. He snatched it up and draped it over Lily's shivering body. "Er, Lily? Do you want some soup, or something?"

"Actually, yeah, soup would be good about now. Why do you ask?"

"Well, soup is warm, and you are shivering. Your look is even complete with blue lips."

Lily's hand flew to her mouth. "Are my lips really blue?" she asked.

"Yeah, actually it looks kinda wonky, with your green eyes and red hai –"

James was cut off by Lily's fit of giggles. He looked at her, a bemused expression plastered on his face, but that just seemed to double Lily's giggles. He was surprised she managed to laugh as much as she did, considering the amount of sneezes she was interrupted with.

Lily sighed, her laughing fit ending as abruptly as it had started. She was breathing rather heavily and there was an accumulated amount of tissues around her.

"What was that all about?" James asked, slightly shocked.

"I dunno…I just pictured myself with red hair, green eyes, and blue lips," Lily grinned. "I thought it looked really odd, so I started laughing. That's what people do when they find something funny or odd. They laugh."

"Hardy har har," James said sarcastically.

"You'll have to work on your laugh," Lily commented offhandedly. "It's just not quite right."

"Oh, tee hee, giggle snort," James said, faking sarcasm. "Was that any better?"

"It's getting better," Lily smiled. She relaxed back into her pillows, shutting her eyes softly.

James started slightly. "Your soup. Right. So I'll just…go to the kitchens?" he asked, his hazel eyes straying over to Lily's peaceful form.

"If you could," Lily yawned, cuddling up beneath the warm blankets.

Lily heard James footsteps leading away from her as he padded across the room to the portrait hole. The well-oiled painting swung forward soundlessly as James stepped into the empty corridor. Looking both up and down the corridor, he grinned. Everyone was still in class, as well as all of the professors…

James started skipping down the hall, savoring the freedom. Picking up speed, he jumped on the rail of the nearest staircase and sped down.

Several staircases, corridors, and secret passages later, James was standing in front of a painting of a bowl of fruit wearing a giant grin on his face. He reached out with his forefinger and tickled the pear. It giggled, swinging forward.

James stepped over the threshold. Immediately, a house elf with baggy ears and a Hogwarts uniform came waddling up to James.

"Hello, Master James, sir. What can Tilly do for Master James today?" the house elf asked shrilly, his face going slightly red. James had come to the kitchens so often he asked the house elves to call him James; Master Potter seemed too formal. They settled for Master James.

"Well, actually, Tilly, my friend isn't feeling that well today. I was wondering if you could get me some chicken noodle soup?" James asked hopefully.

"Of course, Master James. Tilly is getting that right away, sir." Tilly ran off, disappearing among the rest of the house elves. James relaxed, sitting at the closest of the four long tables.

James sighed, drumming his fingers on the table lightly. His thoughts strayed to Lily, upstairs in the common room. She was getting better, at least compared to this morning. She was even laughing. Even, dare he say it, lightly flirting? Lily had never done that before. With him, at least. Even when they reached a mutual agreement a few weeks back. But James wasn't complaining. He was elated that she was warming up to him.

"Master James, sir, Tilly has your soup," a squeaky voice interrupted James' thoughts, appearing at his side.

"Thanks, Tilly,' James said, grabbing the tray with the soup. He took out his wand, casting a spell to balance it, noticing the packet of crackers Tilly had placed next to the soup.

"It is Tilly's pleasure, Master James."

James shot a grin at Tilly before getting up and walking back out the portrait hole. He turned down a corridor, his solitary footsteps echoing loudly off the stone walls.

James turned left in the Entrance Hall and started up the marble staircase, subconsciously remembering to skip the trick step.

He turned down another corridor, catching snippets of whatever the professor happened to be lecturing on. He grinned, thinking of the remaining three Marauders, who were suffering through classes.

James shook his head, wanting to rid his mind of all school-related thoughts for as long as possible as he ascended another staircase.

James had never appreciated how far the Heads' common room was from the kitchens. Usually he was under the invisibility clock with Remus or Sirius, so the journey would seem shorter as they joked and avoided the caretaker. However, as he walked back with only a silver plate to keep him company, James thoughts it seemed as though the Heads' common room was three times as far.

Finally, he stood in front of a portrait of a little girl on a swing, her brown curls gently swaying in the breeze. "Password?" the girl smiled.

"Ginger newt," James replied. The girl giggled, swinging forward to admit him. He walked into the common room. Lily was sitting cross-legged with a blanket wrapped tightly around her. In front of her a NEWT level Transfiguration text was open. James smiled to himself.

"Hey Lily," he said, setting the tray down on the table. He sat down on the heart in front of the fireplace – which currently housed no roaring fire – right across from Lily.

"Hey James," Lily answered, eyeing the soup gratefully. "Thanks," she smiled, sprinkling the crushed crackers into the soup.

"It was nothing." James picked up his quill and went back to his essay.

The two sat in silence for a while, Lily slowly eating her soup and drinking in the information from the text, while James fervently scratched away on his parchment.

Lily raised the spoon to her lips as she read another line in the textbook, wondering how she was going to do this strenuous essay. Transfiguration was easily her worst subject – not that she was failing, of course, but it wasn't as easy for her as charms. Finally, she finished the last page in the chapter _Human Transfiguration: A Facial Guide_. She stood up, taking her last bite of soup and crackers.

"Where are you going?" James asked, looking up from his essay.

"Just to get my bag," Lily said nonchalantly. She crossed the room, picking up her bag that she dropped earlier in her haste to get to the bathroom. She glided back to the table, resuming her previous cross-legged position across from James. She placed an object on the table, wanting to be able to use both her hands to search through her bag.

"What's that?" James questioned, gesturing with his quill.

Lily emerged from her bag, setting a quill, ink and parchment down on the table. "What, this?" she asked stuffily. James nodded. "It's my stuffed teddy bear. When I was little my father sometimes went on business trips. Once he brought this home for me."

"Must've been nice," James commented, looking wistfully at the bear.

"What?"

"Having a father around."

"Why? Wasn't your –"

"My dad was an Auror," James explained. "He was barely even home. He was always off on one mission or another. It used to be only my Mum and me, until Sirius moved in a couple summers ago." Lily could hear the pain in his voice.

"I'm sorry," she genuinely offered.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." He flicked his eyes back to his parchment, where he scribbled a few more sentences. "Finished!" he announced, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"No fair!" Lily objected. "How did you write that so fast? I can't even figure out how to _start_ my essay!"

"The same way you get those charms essay so fast," James retaliated, winking.

Lily felt her face grow a bit red. "Touché," she grumbled, turning back to her painfully blank parchment. She flipped through the Transfiguration text uninterestedly, having just read the required spells.

After some debate, Lily resolutely set her quill to the parchment. _My Perfect Day, By Lily Evans_, she wrote.

_If I could transfigure myself to be anyone, anybody at all, for one entire day_, _I would be myself. My mother always used to tell me that "Acceptance on someone else's terms is worse than rejection", and I've always believed that._

_I wouldn't want to be anyone else – even for a day – because I wouldn't be myself. If I was someone else, I wouldn't be being true to who I am, and that's what I value the most._

_However, for the purpose of this essay, I will describe the spells and wand movements required to transfigure one's physical appearance to become a replica of my own…_

James tossed down his quill, looking across at Lily, who was writing neatly on her parchment. She looked beautiful, just sitting there, writing, softly biting her lower lip…

James looked away, not wanting Lily to catch him staring at her. He leaned back on his elbows, hot and bothered that he was still required to wear a full school uniform at the end of May. Shedding his robe, he loosed the knot in his tie so it hung limply around his neck, and undid the top few buttons on his white-collared shirt. James put his left arm over his right, trying desperately to undo the button on the cuff. There was only one problem: the button didn't want to undo itself.

James, not having much patience undoing his button, grew frustrated. _"Undo, you bloody button!"_ he blurted.

Lily's head snapped up from her essay. She looked at James, whose fingers were still trying, without prevail, to get the button undone. He looked up at her and caught her eye, cheeks turning a light pink. "It won't undo," he said, answering her cocked eyebrow.

Lily smiled. "Give me your arm," she said, and James put his arm on the table. She reached over, fidgeting with his cuff until she found the offending button. She slid the cream-coloured button through its hole with ease, gesturing for James to put his other arm on table. He obliged, taking his left arm back.

Lily finished, smiling at James before returning to her essay.

"Thanks," he said, rolling his cuffs up to just below his elbows.

"No problem," she answered slowly, quill moving slowly and gracefully across the parchment.

James leaned back on his elbows again, visibly bored. He directed his breath upwards, blowing his fringe up, only stopping to let it fall when he ran out of breath.

"Lily," he said, an idea coming to mind, "do you want to go outside?"

"I dunno, James, I really have to finish this ess –"

"Sure, you can finish it outside!" James proposed. "I mean, it's awfully hot in here, even without my robe on, and I'm sure the fresh air'll do you good."

Lily remained skeptical. "Are you sure we're even _allowed_ outside? And even if we were, if I go outside, it'll – _achoo!_ – look like I'm better," Lily sneezed.

"Lily, Lily, Lily! Don't forget, you're dealing with a Marauder, here. How do you think we went on so many night-kitchen-escapades without getting caught? Plus, if you don't agree to go outside, I might be forced to take off my shirt."

"You make a fair point. Let's not keep the great outdoors waiting, shall we?"

James smiled, dashing to his room. "Where are you going?" Lily called after him. He didn't respond as he bounded into his room, throwing items out of his trunk, looking for something. Something that could help him take Lily outside unnoticed…

Finally, he found it. Glimmering silver, silky smooth, and lightweight, James carried the Invisibility Cloak back down into the common room.

"Wow," Lily breathed, catching sight of the Cloak. "Is that an Invisibility Cloak?"

"Yeah," James answered proudly. "It was my dad's."

"And he trusted you with something this valuable?" Lily joked.

"Well, if that's what you really think of me, I might not let you use this…" James trailed off, faking offence.

"Then we'll have to stay here! Oh dear Merlin, spare me the horror of you taking your shirt off!" Lily cried dramatically, putting a hand up to her forehead.

"Oi! I'll have you know that my chest is perfectly delightful!" James said, walking over to Lily with the Cloak. He quickly checked to make sure he and Lily both had their wands; Lily's laughs turned into a gasp as James covered them with the Cloak. Her breath caught in her throat at she inhaled James' scent. Even after the couple of months they were friends, he still managed to take her breath away instantly.

As they turned to go out the portrait hole, Lily caught sight of their reflection – or lack thereof – in a mirror. "Whoa! I can't see us! I mean, I know we're here, but…we're not!"

James laughed softly. "Yeah, that was my reaction when I was first under this. It was like having total freedom – complete reign of the castle. It's a great feeling. Sirius thought so as well."

"But surely you and Sirius can't both fit under the Cloak at once? I mean, we barely fit and I'm much shorter than Sirius is."

James eyes twinkled. "We find ways. We _are_ the Marauders, after all."

They two Heads continued to walk through the deserted corridors in silences, catching fractions of lectures and conversations held in the passing classrooms.

"Stop," James said suddenly.

"What is it?" Lily asked, confused. She didn't hear anythi –

A mad cackling was getting louder and louder. It was coming from behind them and it was coming closer…

"Peeves!" James hissed. He whipped around to see the poltergeist carrying ink bottles and swinging them around madly. "Quick, in here!" James said, pulling Lily into an empty classroom. Just them, Peeves came by and splattered the window with ink, making a large, black spot on the previously spot-free glass.

"That was close," James breathed, his words right next to Lily's ear. She suddenly realized how close they were: when James pulled them into the classroom, Lily collided against him and neither of them had moved. "…terrible if I got ink on the Cloak."

"Yeah," Lily said, swallowing hard. "Let's continue, shall we?" Lily said, slowly making her way towards the door.

Once outside, James whipped the Cloak off of them. "Finally!" he said. "Fresh air." He breathed in loudly to emphasize his point.

Lily smiled weakly, making her way towards the lake. James watched, hearing her sneeze periodically. She was acting odd on the trip down. She didn't even protest when her papers and her bear were left in the common room. She was mostly silent, and her breathing wasn't even. She was acting really nervous – exactly how James felt on the inside. Even though they were friends, they were never that close for as long as they were. And in the classroom, she was pressed up against him, and she didn't even attempt to move.

James jogged to meet her at the lake. She had sit down, taken off her shoes and her socks and dipped her feet lightly in the water.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You were…off, on the way down. You even left your book and paper in the tower. Are you ok?'

Lily hesitated, swishing her feet around in the water, before answering. "I have this friend," Lily started. "And we're pretty close, now. We weren't really before. Before we were…distant." Lily glanced at James before looking back out across the lake. "I think we're both ready for the next stage in our relationship, but neither of us know how to…go about getting there." Another quick glance showed James looking away. "We're graduating in a little over a month. I'm afraid I might never see him again, and I don't know what to do about it."

Lily started blinking furiously to stop the tears from leaking out of her eyes. James looked over at Lily. "You really like this guy, don't you?" James asked, jealousy stabbing painfully at his heart.

Lily wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I do. And I'm pretty sure he likes me a lot as well, but he hasn't shown as much interest in me as usual."

James racked his brain, trying to think of who Lily could be talking about. They like each other mutually…ready for the next step in their relationship…hasn't been giving her his usual amount of attention…who could it be? _Someone extremely lucky_, he thought.

"…to do," Lily finished.

"Sorry, what?" James said, awaking from his stupor.

"I just don't know what to do about it. _Achoo!_"

"Bless you," James said, conjuring a tissue.

"Thanks," Lily said, using the tissue. Her eyes welled up with tears and they poured down her face. James looked over in alarm; he was not good with crying girls. He reached over and hugged Lily, rubbing her back while she sobbed on his shoulder. James stroked her hair with his free hand. He was surprised: he had seen Lily explode at him before, many, many times, but he'd never seen Lily break down.

_Who would be stupid enough to not ask Lily out? _James wondered. His heart broke to see her crying over some guy who wouldn't ask her out. _He must be really blind. _

Slowly, Lily calmed down enough to speak. She kept her head resting on his chest as she said, "He's so sweet, and caring, even though he can be rash and mischievous. And he's really handsome and funny. His smile can light up the room, and he can make anyone laugh with a joke."

"He sounds practically perfect," James said with remorse.

Lily sighed. "Yeah, he is."

"I think you'd be really happy with him," James stated. _If she can't be happy with me, at least she can be happy with someone else. _

"So you're saying I should tell him?"

_No, you shouldn't tell him, because we're supposed to be together. Not you and **him.**_ _Us. James and Lily. _"Yeah. Someone as lucky as this bloke should know how lucky he actually is."

"Well…what should I say to him? I can't just go up to him and say, 'Hey, I really like you'. And what if I'm wrong? What if he doesn't actually like me anymore? That would be so embarrassing."

"Well, if it was me, I wouldn't mind it if a girl just came up and snogged the life out of me."

Lily laughed nervously. She sat up properly, repositioning herself to face James. "James?"

"Yeah?"

Lily wavered for a moment, but just long enough for James to wonder with what other information she could torture him with, before pressing her lips soundly to his.

This kiss was soft and gentle, yet filled with longing. All too soon for either of them, Lily pulled away. "I really like you," she whispered.

"I really like you, too," James murmured, capturing Lily's soft, pink lips for another moment.

It was quick, but the sweet taste lingered on James' lips when Lily ended it. She smiled, up at James, her cheeks red, and lay her head back on his shoulder, curling up against him.

It was silent; James was stunned that Lily had been talking about him the entire time. For years he has wished that she reciprocated his feelings, and she finally did. He tilted her chin up and captured her lips once more.

"What was that for?" Lily questioned, though her face was alight with happiness.

"I'm just the luckiest bloke in the world."

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_Author's Note: _Phew! 17 pages! That's the longest chapter I've ever written. Or one-shot, really. This came to me when I was sick, and I've had it on my computer for a while. I sent it to my BETA, and a friend, but they never got back to me on editing it...so it might have been a bit raw. But that's ok. Tell me what you thought! _Review. _


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